In Another Direction
by Wijida
Summary: A takeoff of the novel "Fire Ship", by the esteemed Diane Carey, one of my favorite Voy authors. How else could our Captain have joined up with her family once again?


  


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**Disclaimer:** Of course, Voyager belongs to Paramount. The characters from Captain's Table #4 : "Fire ship", are Diane Carey's. No harm intended.*S*

And this changes POV near the end...from first person to third person...Diane Carey did it in her book..and I thought it to be a very convincing technique. Along with that...I added Chakotay to the group of people she was with on the planet...which consisted only of Paris.

  


In Another Direction

By Manda (Mizuno Ami)

  


I stared at the image of Sasaquon, my heart racing as possible scenarios of this meeting ran through my head. On Voyager, we'd used to conduct peace treaties between feuding races, but it didn't seem as if these people were accustomed to those things. What I wouldn't have given for a Vulcan mediator right about then.

"We're going to have a meeting." I announced, making my decision. Zell glanced at me from the side, but I managed to ignore him, focusing instead on my advisary. "Well, Mr.Sasaquon, how would you feel about coming aboard _Zingara_?"

"What for?" He seemed suspicious, as any good captain would, I guess. God knows I'd seen enough of _that_ before.

"We're going to have a peaceful negotiation." I replied. "We can be ready to recieve you and a member of your crew within an hour."

"Very well,Captain Kay. Sasaquon out." The screen blanked, and only then did I realize that Zell, Ruvan, and anyone else on deck was gathered around me staring with open mouths.

"Kay, what are you doing?" The expression on my first officer's face clearly said I was out of my mind, and I laughed.

"Don't worry, I've done this before." I smiled, adjusting my shoulder cape snugly. "Zell, is there a room when we could meet? It'll have to fit quite a few people."

He was silent for a moment, I guess taking the time to run my plan through his head. "I guess we can fit a few people into Quen's cabin, but we'll have to ask him."

"All right. You do that- I'll be getting ready for our guests. Now," I looked around, eyebrows raised. "Is there a mirror around here?"

  


When we gathered in Quen's cabin, I'd chosen Ruvan, Lucas, and Oran, whose ship had joined ours shortly after we had discovered the Lumalit ships. Zell was to escort Sasaquon and his party from the boarding deck and I, for the most part, felt prepared for anything.

"You look....nice, Kay." I smiled at Ruvan's nervous comment. He was blushing, a reaction barely visible beneath his mushroom shaded skin, and my smile grew. 

"Thank you." I'd brushed down my cape, exchanged my sweater and pants for fresh ones, and managed a passable attempt at fixing my hair by pulling it into a crude ponytail and fastening it with the only thing I had available- a scrap of black material from my tattered Starfleet uniform. I'd missed scattered pieces on the floor, and when deckhands had been searching the workbee, I'd taken them. They were to be my only reminder of Voyager. "You're very kind, Ruvan."

He gave me another nervous smile, shifting in his seat as Zell entered the room, followed by Sasaquon and two well dressed members of his crew. 

"Welcome to Zingara, Captain." I was calm, as calm as I could be. "Please, take a seat." I was positioned behind the desk, Oran on one side and Lucas on the other. Zell and Ruvan had positioned themselves near the door, though by the look on Ruvan's face I knew he was eager to get back to the infirmary.

"Gentlemen, you know why I called you here." I spoke loudly, clearly, the only betrayal of my facade being the nervous shaking of my scarred hands beneath the desk. "We have a real threat on our hands here, and it needs to be dealt with quickly."

"What are you talking about,Captain?" The other captain stared at me, unblinking, as I tried willing my age-old mask into place. "What kind of threat, exactly?"

"That fleet out there." I answered shortly. "The Menace. Their name is Lumalit, and they killed my people."

"Your people?"

"Yes, my people. Humans, Bolians, Vulcans. There was Naomi, the first child ever to be born aboard my ship. The Lumalit swept in with their armada, and overcrowded transports, trampling out not only my family, but every living being on the Iscoy asteroid. They can't be allowed to do that anymore!"

"You feel that strongly?" His pine colored locks fell gently over his shoulders as he leaned torward me. "It sounds as if you've gone through quite the ordeal, Captain."

"I have."

"And you believe this..Lumalit armada could be a risk to us?"

"Yes!" I stood up, fist slamming into the surface of Quen's desk. "We have to stop them, and we need your help to do that!"

"Yes, Sasaquon. Quen agrees with us on that." Zell spoke up, and not for the first time was I glad he was there. I realized Ruvan had left, however- back to his infirmary and our injured former captain. I had to commend his dedication and loyalty.

"Kay, we're with you." Oran stood at my side, and I clapped a hand on his shoulder, smiling with affection.

"You see, Captain, even if you do decide to side with the TCA and the Lumalit, we'll have allies."

"And more." Sasaquon turned to me, a smile on his face. Damn, why did he have to be so handsome? "My crew and I will help you, Captain Kay."

"And we will appreciate it." I reached for his hand, marveling at his strong grip, and meeting the eyes of my officers. "I'd like to speak to you alone, Captain, if that would be possible."

"Of course." He gestured to his officers as I did mine, and they soon vacated, leaving us to our own devices. "Now that we are able to talk face-to-face, in person, I'd like to ask you a few things, Captain."

"Why not?" I settled back, focusing my attention on him. "Shoot."

"Where do you come from? You aren't like my people, and you're a woman alone in space, which is unlike anything heard of out here."

"And here being...?" I smiled. "I'm not like you, Sasaquon, because I come from a distant part of the galaxy, a place that my people refer to as the Alpha Quadrant. This we call the Delta Quadrant and although I am here now, I don't belong. You know that, obviously."

"Obviously." He agreed, smiling. His smile revealed dimples, which reminded me of another smile, a friend from my past, and a tear welled up in my right eye. "And you plan to stay on board this ship?"

"Yes, I do." I reached up to adjust the fastenings of my cape. "I need to be in space, where my crew fought for their lives. And I will as well."

"A noble thought, Captain."

"Please." I stood up, coming around to sit in a chair one of his men had vacated. "Call me Kathryn. Not much in case of an emergency, but-"

"It should do fine." We sat in silence for a second, and oddly enough it only took him that long to come forward and embrace me fondly. I was shocked- don't get me wrong, I called him handsome, but- I'd never expected him to do this. He'd seemed too much like Quen and Oran...polite. And as I'd said to Zell when I'd first come aboard- chivilrous.

"Captain.." I admonished, pulling back. "I'm sorry. I-"

"And so am I." He replied. "Our women stay behind- it's been months since I've been in one's company. You strike me as different not only in physiology, but personality as well."

I smiled. "Thank you, I think."

But then Zell burst in, and I looked up, breaking eye contact with my new ally.

"Captain, we're picking up a fleet moving in. They're close."

"Oh, no." Sasaquon caught me as I stood and stumbled, feeling almost drunken, though I hadn't had a glass of synthehol since Tom's last party... my thoughts were erratic, and I took a deep breath.

"Red alert."

"Red alert!" Zell took off at a run, shouting to the heavens and all who would listen. "Red alert!"

"I will be on my ship, awaiting orders." Sasaquon took my hand, and his lips lightly brushed it. But I couldn't settle for that- I was so lonely- and I pulled his face to mine for one of the most gentle of kisses that I could ever remember. He wrapped his arms around me, and for a minute, I was happy. 

"Thank you." He was gone, and I ran for the bridge.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"Zell, let's try a light kick toward the next system!" I shouted over the din, finding that with each word I sucked in another mouthful of exhaust from our leaking systems. "We need repairs!"

"Engines are down, Kay!"

"I can't believe th--Try _anything_!" Fear built up in me- I could see my ship exploding, again and again, in my minds eye. This ship couldn't meet the same fate- not while Kathryn Janeway was alive and kicking.

"Like what?" Zell appeared by my side, hair singed, smelling like burnt-out engine. "Kay, we don't have much time!"

"I know that!" The Menace ships were displayed on the overhead vid- I couldn't get the feeling of open space out of my mind when I looked at it. Open space.. the vacumn.. their shields. I knew it!

"Zell, is it possible to poke a hole through their shields using the.." I trailed off. We didn't have a main deflector, which was vital against this! No! Why was everything that I'd cleaned up so well just falling apart in my hands? So quickly!

"Dammit!" I tore my cape off, watching the roughly sewn fabric flutter to the deck. It was too hot. "Zell, contact Sasaquon!"

"Aye, aye." To his credit, he being an untrained officer to the ways of Starfleet, Zell snapped to it, and soon I could see Sasaquon's handsome, elegant face on the small screen in front of me.

"Sasaquon." I greeted him calmly, for this was no time for visable panic, despite what I felt at having no resources. "We need your help, if you're still willing."

"I am at that, Captain." His eyes shone, the willingness all too obvious in his face. "What do you need me to do?"

"Do you have weapons?"

"Yes."

"Good." I realized then what my next question was- what I had planned subconciously since I'd seen the Lumalit coming. "Now, how many of my crew can you fit aboard your ship?"

"Kay?" Zell moved up next to me, mouth agape. "You aren't saying-"

"You have to leave here, Zell!" I snapped. "It's not safe. I'm planning to charge the tiles up to full power. It'll work- I know it."

"Captain..." Sasaquon stared at me from the tiny vid, his face blank. "surely you don't realize.."

"_How many people, Captain_?" I demanded, leaning closer to his image.

"Thirty or so. Maybe forty. But it's going to be rather crowded below decks."

"They'll stay out of your way." I promised, turning to my second-in-command. "Zell, I want you to have Ruvan prepare Quen. You're all going to Sasaquon's ship."

"No, Kay."

"It's not up for discussion, Zell. You're taking the crew over, and that's an order! Get Ruvan and Quen into the pods first- and after you've done that, get yourself and as many crew as you can into the other ones."

"Aye, aye." He darted away, ducking under a piece of dangling conduit and yelling to crewmen who stood in the way. I watched him go with a feeling of dread that what I was doing may not have been what I should do. 

"Kay," Sasaquon's voice, light as a feather, pulled me back to his face. "..are you coming?"

This was it. The moment I'd been dreading for the last few minutes. I gazed into his eyes, full moons of opal, and said steadily. "No."

That was it, for I'd spoken and could never take it back. My declaration of love for my newest family. And I wanted, if I had to die, to die in space.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"Hard starboard." Commander Chakotay stared angrily at the forward viewscreen as another volley of alien torpedoes hit the shields. "Tuvok?"

"Shields holding." The Vulcan replied, eyes looking ahead. 

"Adjust phasers to a frequency of four seven point nine nine five. That _should _be enough to punch through." Chakotay sat down in the captain's chair, hands wrapping around the thick upholstery. With Captain Janeway missing, he'd been sitting there for months- but he was sick and tired of it. He- _they_- needed her back, and he was more than certain that she was in the posession of those who had attacked them.

"Commander, I'm reading several unidenified vessels coming off our port bow." Ensign Kim looked up from his console, brow furrowed. "One of them seems to be damaged, and escape pods are vacating to a lead vessel."

"Hail them."

"Opening a channel."

"Alien vessel, this is Commander Chakotay of the Federation Starship Voyager. Are you in need of assistance?"

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


_"Are you in need of assistance?_" The voice haunted me, triggered a myriad of emotions that I'd managed to keep quelled up inside for months. Voyager was _here_...they were _alive_ and well...and waiting to hear from me. I had to answer, if I could only get the nerve.

It was Zell's voice, calm and cool, that coaxed my hand toward the comm-button and hesitantly, I opened a channel.

"Voyager, this is....." Captain Janeway? No, not anymore, though I missed that title sometimes. "Captain Kay of the _Zingara_. We'd be pleased to accept any assistance you could give us, Chakotay."

"_Captain Janeway_?" I could sense it, quite strongly...the fact that he wanted to call me Kathryn..more than anything, I could hear his voice whispering in my mind. _Kathryn._

"Yes, Chakotay. It's good to hear your voice."

"_And yours. We'll beam a party over as soon as possible-"_

"No." I cut him off, shaking my head, which was useless, as he couldn't see me. "Send a shuttlecraft, Chakotay. These people...they've been through so much...they don't need to see aliens materializing out of thin air right now."

His light chuckle, and silence. "_Of course, Captain. We'll be there within the hour. Chakotay out."_

Within the hour. The words were music to my ears, as I knew that within hours I would finally see my crew again--but my eyes fell on Zingara's first officer just then, and it came apon my heavy heart that indeed they were no longer my crew. This crew--this fine crew--were now my responsibility, and Voyager was Chakotay's. It wouldn't do to abandon them.

"Zell, stand down red alert. We've got company coming."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"Chakotay." It was slow going, my making way down to the boarding deck, but when I did--when I did, I was welcomed with the sight of the well fed, clean cut crew of Voyager...all senior officers, with the exception of Tuvok, piling out of a shuttlecraft in pursuit of me. Me.

"Captain." There it was again, in the air as he took my hands, then pulled me into a warm, comforting embrace. _Kathryn, I'm so glad you're back._

So am I.

I caught myself before I could allow him to get any closer. "Welcome to _Zingara."_

He looked confused, hiding it well from anyone else behind those chocolate eyes of his. "Captain, we're glad to have found you."

"As am I, Commander..." I caught Zell's eye, and spun with my hands spread wide, welcoming my old family...introducing my new one, whom Zell had safely retrieved. "Zell, these are...the Voyager crewmembers. Commander Chakotay, B'Elanna Torres...our doctor, our pilot Tom Paris, and...Ensign Harry Kim." There. I'd managed to speak each name without allowing my choked throat to slur the syllables. "And this is my first officer, Zell." 

They all exchanged handshakes and glances before turning back to me. Me again. And what was I supposed to _do_!?

"We have a problem." Pulling my shoulder cape close, I strode across the scorched deckplates, a crowd at my heels as I approached controls for the main viewscreen. The sight was bound to shock them as it first had me...but then again, I'd trained my crew to anticipate surprise--which they did, as my eyes shot upward. "The Menace."

"The Menace?" Even Chakotay looked confused, until I realized that this title was my pet name for whom we now knew were called by something other.

"The Lumalit." I corrected myself. "They're the ones who I thought destroyed Voyager, and who attacked us on the Iscoy asteroid. They killed my escort, and damned near killed me." The anger still lingered, and I wasn't surprised. But my crew-both crews- seemed to be exactly the opposite. "They have waves of ships approaching, and I don't see how the _Zingara_, even with Sasaquon backing us up, can fend them off alone."

"We're here to help you."

"And I thank you. Now," Bringing up a star map of the sector, I motioned for them to gather around me. "Here's where we need _Voyager,_ and the _Zingara_will take position here..."

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


My cabin was quiet that night--and still, I couldn't sleep. Odd, that insomnia should take me months after my initial separation with Voyager, when it hadn't bothered me at all before this moment. The hum of _Zingara's_ engines, a sound to which I had become accustomed, did nothing to help me and after a moment I found myself wandering the steamy, dimmed corridors.

"You should be asleep."

"Zell." My first officer fell into step beside me, shoulder cape and mint green locks bouncing with each albeit drowsy step. "What about you?"

"I'm taking first watch on this desk. Unanimous decision that our Captain needs her rest."

"Not you, too." I let out an exasperated chuckle. "Dear god...you're as bad as Chakotay and Tuvok."

"It sounds as if you miss them."

"Does it?" Suddenly a midnight stroll seemed to be less of a good idea than it had before. "I honestly don't know...but they'll move on without me as I had to move on without them."

"But you didn't." Zell pointed out. "You've taken it all back, and what right do you have to abandon them?"

"Abandon them?"

"Yes. We're fine, Kay...we've lived with these conflicts, and our Captain is able. You need to return to your crew."

I stopped in my tracks, drawing the cape close against a deep chill which had thus settled into my bones. Damned quick, the cold on the ship. I hadn't felt it that badly before...or had I?

"Zell, haven't we been through this? I can't go back there...I've sworn a pledge, and I intend to keep it."

"We may have been through this before, Kay...but the crew has taken a vote, and it's my job to inform you of the results."

So formal. What Starfleet training I had brought aboard this ship had rubbed through the rough and tumble-ness of this intrepid crew. "What are they, pray tell?"

"Zell to _Voyager_. Energize."   


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


"So that's how I came to be home again, ladies and gentlemen." She rose to her feet, a tankard of ale light in one hand--when had she sipped it all? "I was rescued. Taught to live again...and given back what I had lost..all unexpected."

"Whatever happened to your enemy?"

"The Lumalit?" The woman chuckled as the atmosphere of _The Captain's Table _wrapped still around her, the comforting sounds of other captain's reaching her ears. "Defeated. With a little help from _Voyager_" 

"And your first officer?"

A smile. "He and I are closer as a result...I keep in touch with Zell via subspace. Quen is doing nicely."

"But are you happy?" An older man, hair greying near the temples, donned a cherry red jacket and smiled broadly. "Happiness is a rarety on a long journey, Captain."

"Ah, Captain...with that, you may be wrong." Kathryn Janeway cast a sly wink, placing her tankard aside and pivoting to march across the hardwood floor. Toward the exit, and full of a wonder at what tomorrow may only bring.

"Chakotay," She smiled at her first officer, who awaited her at the archway, along with Tom Paris. "You were a Captain once..."

"Yes, Captain."

"Come." She smiled, winked--

and pushed him in.

  


~ Fin~

  
  


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